


Sixth Night

by Ashiepants



Series: Head Over Feet [31]
Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Bisexual, Christmas, Dates, Dating, F/M, Family, Fluff, Gay, Gen, Hanukkah, Holidays, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 17:44:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5426045
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ashiepants/pseuds/Ashiepants
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sonny enjoys his first Hanukkah with the McClures, as does Rafael.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Alex peeked around the corner. Sonny was still at his desk typing furiously at the laptop in front of him. He somehow felt her gaze and glanced up. He smiled and she waved briefly but he motioned he'd need one more minute and for her to wait there. She smiled and continued to wait for him in the hall, not bothering to take off her hat or gloves. 

"I'm takin' off." Kennedy announced. 

"Night." Sonny nodded not looking up from his work. 

"Alright teacher's pet." Kennedy nodded and walked out. 

He almost ran right into Alex in the hall. 

"What're you doin? Hiding?" He asked alarmed. 

"I'm waiting for Sonny." She smiled. "Date night."

"Right." Kennedy nodded. "Listen did he ask you?"

"Sonny?" She knitted her eyebrows. "Ask me what?"

Chuck sighed. "For...do you have any friends?"

Alex put her hands on her hips and looked him up and down. "Yeah I have friends. Do you have friends?"

He returned her look. "Do you have any friends you can set me up with?"

He looked a little embarrassed to be asking. Alex widened her eyes. 

"Uhh..." She gaped. That wasn't what she was expecting out of the older detective. 

"I'm recently single and I just, ya know, wanna buy someone dinner. Nothin serious or anything. Just company." He asked,sincerely. 

Alex nodded. "Um, I'll see what I can do?"

"Thanks, Al."

"Alex." She corrected. 

"Oh, he always calls you Al." Chuck motioned his neck towards the squad room and Sonny. 

"It's kinda our thing." Sonny surprised both of them. "Ready?" He asked her. 

"I've been waitin for YOU." She smiled.

"Right." He squeezed her shoulder. 

"Night, Carisi." Chuck wandered off ahead of them. 

"Aren't you hot in all those clothes?" Sonny asked her after they let Kennedy take the elevator down alone so they'd have one to themselves. 

"Well you said it'd only be a few minutes. I didn't think I'd be standing in the hall for 25 minutes."

"Sorry," Sonny grimaced. "Cmon lets get the elevator before anyone-"

"Hey Alex, nice seeing you again." Olivia smiled at her, Rafael walking in step with her. 

"Yeah." Alex smiled brightly. "Hey Raf."

"Oh you've met Carisi's girlfriend too?" Liv asked him. 

Rafael blushed slightly. "We've...been introduced."

"You seem familiar with her." She added, commenting on the casual way Alex spoke to him. 

"I'm just...ya know...I get comfortable with people quickly." Alex explained awkwardly. 

Rafael gave her a look behind Liv's back. Sonny rolled his eyes. Olivia walked forward into the arriving lift, unaware of the world of glances behind her. Raf followed and Sonny held Alex back. 

"Don't be ridiculous, babe." Alex complained, taking Sonny by the hand and leading him to the elevator. "I've been in this hallway for 14,000 years!"

Liv laughed. "You don't have to keep her from us, Sonny."

"I know, Lieutenant, but-"

Alex giggled. 

"Oh don't start." Sonny rolled his eyes. 

Rafael smirked, looked like cold glances over sushi was over. Here he was thinking Carisi and his girlfriend were cute, what was this?

"What?" Liv asked, trading looks with Rafael. "Are we missing something?"

"She thinks it's cute I'm polite." Sonny rolled his eyes again, his cheeks pinking up.

"It's not the politeness." Alex explained. "It's the pomp and circumstance. Sergeant, Lieutenant...it's funny."

"It's respect." Sonny pursed his lips. 

"Well," Olivia started. "When you're not strictly on the clock...I'm Liv, alright Sonny?"

"Yeah," he nodded with a grin. "No problem Lieuten- Liv- Olivia. I'll just call you Olivia."

Alex grinned again. 

"Have a good night you two." Olivia smiled as they got to the ground floor and started to exit the building. 

"Bye." Alex waved. 

She turned to Sonny. "Where do you think they're going?"

"Dinner? The bar?" He shrugged. 

"Walt thinks Rafael was kind of in love with Olivia." Alex explained trying to find their backs in the crowd going to direction they left. 

"They're pretty close friends." Sonny shrugged again. "I'm starvin'"

"Alright, let's go get some food in us!"  
****  
"Ya ever come see the tree?" Sonny asked while taking a sip of coffee and motioning to the giant Rockefeller tree. They were on the other side of the skating rink leaning on the rail so they had a good view. Alex had her left arm linked with his right to guard against the cold. 

Alex shook her head, dropping her cup from her lips. "Naw. I mean, I've never really come here specifically to see it or go ice skating or anything. It's really pretty up close."

"What's your family's deal on Christmas?" He asked suddenly. 

Alex grinned. "Ya mean do we celebrate it? Yeah."

"But you guys do Hanukkah too?" He asked. "I mean ya ma invited me over there on Friday."

Alex smiled big. 

"I feel obligated to tell you that Hanukkah is not Jewish Christmas." She explained. "So yes. Hanukkah we'd go to my grandparents house and play dreidel and have dinner. We lit the menorah at home. And Christmas is Christmas. What do the Carisis do? Mass?"

He smirked. "Yes. We go to mass. And Christmas Eve is usually a big party, all my cousins and stuff. But my pop moved to Florida because he said New York was gettin too cold, so Christmas got smaller. He's supposed to come this year though! You should meet him."

He looked at Alex. "I mean...if you..."

Alex smiled. "It sounds fun. But I'd rather not do mass. I don't...I never liked it."

"You've been? Like to a real Catholic mass?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yes, my dad was Irish Catholic. He's one of 8 kids. My Grama made us go one year. I was like 6. It was so fucking terrible. She yelled at me because I didn't know how to take communion and when my dad told her we weren't Catholic she flipped out. My mom didn't have to go...Because my Grama didn't think a Jew should go to St. Anne's. And Walt got to stay with mom because he was little. But me and Henry had to go...what?"

Sonny was staring at her with a small smile playing in the corner of his mouth. 

"Nothin...I just don't think our experiences were too far off." He laughed. "My noni, my mom's ma she was real adamant about us bein' Catholic."

Sonny turned so his back was leaned on the rail, cupping his hands around his coffee cup. 

"My dad was...they weren't like a strict church goin' family. Noni used to tell us to say extra prayers for him when he didn't go with us, which was all the time. I used to beg him to let me stay home with him."

"Aww." Alex cooed. "Did you not like it?"

"No kid likes mass!" He exclaimed. "It's so fucking borin' when you have a gameboy at home."

Alex laughed. 

"Did you guys do Jewish stuff?" He asked drinking coffee again. 

"Like go to temple?" She shook her head. "Not often. I mean I lived overseas a lot as a kid. Not a big Jewish population on army bases. But here we did a lot of the major Jewish holidays. Yom Kippur, Rosh Hoshanah."

Sonny raised one eyebrow in confusion. 

"Day of atonement. New Years." Alex deciphered. 

"Ya have a different new year?"

Alex laughed. "Yup! And a secret language!"

Sonny made a face. "Well we'll have to figure it out when we have kids. I mean, don't mind the Jewish stuff if ya..."

Alex was grinning at him again. 

"What?" He asked, noticing. 

"That's the first time you ever said 'when we have kids'." She smiled. 

Sonny blushed. "Well...I mean, not now."

She shook her head. "No, not now."

She leaned over and kissed his cheek. He turned so he could kiss her mouth. She kissed him back, holding onto his arm tightly. 

"So go on...our kids can be little halfsies?" Alex laughed. "I don't know if I want them to be Jewish. I'm not very Jewish."

"My mom is going to insist they're baptized!" Sonny warned. "That's going to be a challenge sooner or later."

Alex smirked. "Let's work on getting her to like me. Then get her to accept her heathen grandchildren."

Sonny laughed. "I think...I kinda embraced my Catholicism when I got older. I don't go to church that much but...it's still kinda important to me."

"Yeah?" She asked furrowing her eyebrows. "It's such a mournful religion."

He shrugged. "I don't think you've been properly exposed!"

"Alright, St. Dominick you gonna try to convert me?" She smirked. 

"Mass at Christmas. That's a good compromise! Ya only gotta go one day a year!" He argued, flailing his hands. 

"Okay...but I wanna get married under a chuppah!"

"A what-uh?" He scrunched up his face again. 

"A hup-puh." She enunciated. "It's a little tent. It symbolizes your new home as man an' wife."

"Oh so we're gettin' married now? Movin' a little quick aren't we, Princess?" He squeezed her arm. 

She smirked. "Not now!"

"No," he kissed her forehead. "Not now."

Sonny tossed his coffee cup into a nearby trash can and put his arm around her waist. 

"C'mon let's get out of the cold!"  
****  
"Please don't be late!" Walt begged. 

"I don't do it on purpose!" Rafael answered. "I will try to get out of here soon. We can meet there, right?"

Walt sighed. "Yeah."

"Don't be nervous." Rafael soothed. "It's not a big deal, right? It's just your mom."

"And Zee." Walt explained. "My grandfather. He doesn't always know what's going on nowadays but..."

"It will be fine." Rafael snapped. "I'll see you soon. I have to get back to my work or I'm never going to get out on time."

He didn't sound enthused about meeting Walt's mom. Walt felt a little like he was treating it like an appointment he didn't want to go to. That was irritating but he tried to remember that Raf was very busy. He was carving time out for Walt and Hanukkah and that meant something. He was probably over thinking it. He wasn't even sure how serious he was about Raf, but he knew Hanukkah felt important this year. Henry was here and he'd cook the latkes with Alex. Mom was bringing Zaidie home, a break from the facility. This would be Nate's first Hanukkah even and Sonny's too, now that he and Alex had patched up their woes. 

Still, he was a little bothered by Rafael's recent attitude. Everything had been brusque and rushed. Then two nights ago he was at dinner with Olivia when Walt wanted to come over. He spoke to him in a whisper. Walt knew that whisper. The secret whisper. The "I haven't told a soul about you" whisper. He didn't even say his name out loud. But Walt didn't want to fight. He tried to let it go but it was plaguing him. 

"Can you drive the suburban?" Rose was calling from the kitchen. 

Walt was downstairs in the basement that was once his mothers playroom and then his and his siblings arena when they'd visit. He could've taken an upstairs bedroom when he came to stay with his mom, but the basement had a separate entrance. It was almost like having his own place. 

"To where?" He came up the stairs into the dining room. 

"To get Daddy." She explained. "You know I hate driving it, it's so big!"

Walt smirked. "Yeah. Henry need a ride?"

"I dunno, ask him." She went back into the kitchen to check on what she was baking. 

Walt sniffed. "Did you make rugelach?!"

She nodded. 

"Mom, I love you!" Walt hugged her and kissed her cheek as she opened the oven door. 

Rose laughed and batted him away. "Calm down! It's Hanukkah!"

"Yeah but you never make rugelach! It's bubbe's rugelach, right?" 

"Of course."

"I'm gonna have to get a gym membership. I've had so much food this week!" Walt complained and rubbed his belly

Rose looked over her thin son. "I'm sure you'll be fine."

"Mom, I'm approaching my 30s everything I eat is starting to stick around."

"Maybe stop eating like you're 17 then." She rolled her eyes. 

"But mom!" He yelled. 

She turned back to him. 

"It's Hanukkah!" Walt have her a wide eyed look with a smirk. 

"Oh go pick up your Zaidie. And we need toilet paper."  
****  
"Don't be nervous, no one is gonna make you speak Hebrew." Alex explained as she and Sonny approached her grandparents house in the Bronx later that day. 

Despite the fact that neither of her grandparents lived in that house anymore and her mother had essentially taken ownership, Alex would always refer to it as her grandparents house. 

"I think you're more nervous than I am." Sonny smirked. "I'm sure it will be better than Thanksgiving."

"Don't jinx it!" 

Sonny laughed. 

"I mean it. Henry will be good, he promised me. But my Zaidie is in there."

"Dr. Spielman?" Sonny confirmed. 

"Yup. Ben. You should probably call him Zaidie too." She bit her lip. "Maybe. I dunno. Let him tell you-"

Sonny took her shoulders as they stopped in front of the stoop. "Al, relax, I'll be fine. So do you light the Shabbat candles and the menorah because it's Friday?"

She grinned and appraised him, he was always surprising her. "You-"

"I read the wiki on Hanukkah." He held up his Apple Watch with a smile. 

"You big nerd." She kissed his cheek. "We do light both. You're about to see me be real jewy. Can you take it?"

"I think I can take it. As long as ya ma is okay with me being a goy." 

She grinned wider. "Well she married one, Detective."

They walked up the stairs and Alex paused right before the door. 

"Don't be so dramatic." Sonny took the door knob and turned it. 

"Mom!" Alex called as Sonny pushed the door open. "Hey Zee!"

Her grandfather was sitting in the armchair, silently perusing an old Readers Digest. He had most of his hair but it was sterling silver, his kind dark brown eyes were masked with wrinkles. He reminded Sonny of a muppet; the way Statler or Waldorf would look if they weren't so angry. 

"Oh my Alexandra." He had a wide grin as she walked in with Sonny on her heels. "You are more beautiful every time I see you."

"Thanks Zee." She beamed and leaned in to kiss his cheek. "Zee this is my bo- Sonny."

"A boyfriend!" He sounded surprised. "Oh well hello young man."

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Spielman." Sonny nodded and reached out to grasp his hand. 

"So polite! You can call me Ben." He winked at Sonny. "Actually, you'd better call me Dr. Spielman; no one calls me that anymore and I miss it."

Sonny laughed. "No problem, Dr. Spielman. You can call me Detective Carisi."

Alex hit him in the side. "Sonny!"

Zaidie laughed. "What a character!"

"See, I'm funny." Sonny grinned at her. She rolled her eyes but relented. 

"A cop?" Ben asked, suspiciously. "What kind of cop?"

"I'm a detective with special victims in Manhattan."

"Huh?" He made a grimace. "What's special about them?"

"Uh, delicate cases: children, women who have been..." Sonny searched for a tame word that was holiday discussion approved. "Assaulted. But I also go to Fordham, not far from here. Law school."

"Oy, a lawyer!" Zaidie nodded. "Good boy! Alex can't be worrying about you getting into trouble on the streets."

Alex turned to him with a smirk. "You listen to my Zaidie!"

"I'm workin' on it Doc."

"We already got a bunch of soldiers in this family!" He added. "Ted's never home anymore!"

"Daddy, you want some juice?" Rose quickly interrupted, coming from the kitchen to greet them. "Hi baby. Sonny."

She gave them both brief hugs, kissing her daughter on the cheek. 

He looked at his daughter with bright eyes. "Cranberry juice..."

"O-" 

"With vodka." He completed. 

Alex laughed. 

"No!" Rose shook her head. 

"Cmon he's old, let him have a drink!" Henry came up the stairs from the basement with Walt in tow. He was hobbled leaning even heavier on his cane. 

"Least I can still stand on my own." Zaidie added, winking at Henry. 

"Thanks Zee." Henry rolled his eyes. He did look remarkably like his grandfather, same dark brown eyes, same as Rose's. "Hey Sonny, Lexi."

"Happy Hanukkah!" Alex grinned and walked over to attempt to help him. 

Walt followed him up. "Hey Sonny."

"Cranberry juice then, Dad?" Rose asked. 

He grunted and waved his hand, "I'd rather have water if this is how it's gonna be."

"This is how it's gonna be." Rose affirmed. 

"Cmon Zee, I'll get you water." Walt helped him to his feet and lead him to the kitchen. Henry followed behind slowly. Walt resembled the activities director at a rehabilitation hospital leading his charges to arts and crafts. 

"Don't you dare give him liquor, Walter." Rose warned. Walt waved his hand and nodded his head in acknowledgement. 

"Was your Zaidie talking about your dad? Bein' away?" Sonny asked. Alex smiled slightly at Sonny using the word 'zaidie'.

"Zee forgets. He had a stroke a few years ago." She frowned. "He and my dad were really close."

Sonny nodded and hugged her shoulder and then noticed a picture on the wall. He grinned. 

"Is that you?" Sonny walked over and pointed to the dark haired girl leaning against the stoop he'd just walked up outside, a half smile full of youthful arrogance; she knew she was beautiful. 

"That's me!" Rose answered crossing to take the frame off the wall. "But you're sweet."

"You're what, 17?" Alex guessed. 

"Yeah. Your dad took this picture. He gave it to my parents for Hanukkah, actually." She smiled at the memory, staring at the picture. "It was really dumb, but he got it framed and everything. Like it didn't spell out he was in love with me!"

Alex grinned. Sonny smiled. 

"You never told me that!" Alex stared at her mom. 

"I kinda just remembered. I told him we don't really give gifts and Hanukkah is not like Christmas but he insisted. Stubborn." Rose shook her head. 

"You dated in high school?" Sonny asked, side-eyeing Alex. 'Stubborn like her dad, apparently' he thought. 

"No! I refused to date him while I was still in high school. I thought he might change my plans." She laughed. "He won."

Sonny smirked at Alex. Or stubborn like Rose, double whammy. He laughed to himself. 

"What are you laughing at?" Alex hugged his side. 

"Nothin'." He kissed her forehead. 

"Well c'mon, everybody is hanging out near the food." Rose rallied. 

"As they should." Sonny took Alex by the hand and followed.   
****  
Walt ran to the door when the bell rang. "I got it!"

Alex raised her eyebrows at Sonny as he ran from the room. 

Walt smoothed his hair and took a breath before he opened the door. To his chagrin it wasn't Rafael as he was hoping, it was Alex's best friend, Sarah. Her hair was a bright purple and she had it in neat victory rolls. 

"Well don't look so happy to see me." Sarah frowned. 

"Sorry I thought you were someone else." Walt sighed. 

"The district attorney?" She wiggled her eyebrows. "He's not here? Suns about to set, doesn't he know anything about Jews?"

Walt rolled his eyes. "Everybody is in the kitchen."

"Rose!" Sarah greeted her first. "I brought you the good stuff."

She held up a bottle of Grey Goose. "I marked it out at the bar. Nick didn't even bat an eyelash."

"Thanks sweetie, freezer." Rose directed, taking the lid off the roast. 

Sarah crossed after she put away the vodka and hugged Rose from behind. "Looks great. Hi, happy Hanukkah McClures."

Alex smiled. "Hey."

Sonny gave her a tight smile. "Hey Sar."

"What's up detective tight pants?" She giggled and clapped him on the back. 

Alex got off her stool to hug her friend. "Henry is in the living room with Zee."

"His wife is Angela?" Sarah confirmed in a whisper. 

"And Nate is the baby." Alex nodded. 

Sarah nodded as well and walked into the living room. She leaned down to Alex's grandfather in the armchair, kissing his cheek. 

"Hey, Dr. Spielman!" She grinned. 

"Miss Dossi!" He grinned. 

"You remembered."

"Love the hair!" He gave her a thumbs up. 

Henry looked stunned. "Sarah?" He asked nervously. "What're you-"

She smirked. "Nice to see you too Henry."

She pulled him in for a hug that he awkwardly returned. She turned to Angela who was on the floor with Nate building a tower of blocks. Angela got up in her knees at her arrival. 

"Oh, uh Sarah, this is..." Henry started. 

"Angela!" Sarah leaned in to hug her as well, ignoring the hand she held out. "Nice to meet you. I'm Alex's best friend. He's adorable!"

Sarah smiled at Nate as he toppled his blocks with a proud grunt, waving his arms in the air. 

"Thanks." Angela smiled at Henry, lovingly. "It's nice meeting you, finally. Alex talks about you."

"As she should." Sarah laughed. "I'd never miss an opportunity to eat latkes and brisket."

"Mom made rugelach too!" Alex joined them in the living room. 

"You have to have rugelach on Hanukkah!" Zaidie called. "Are you making my latkes, Alex? Or do I have to get up."

"Lexi and I will make them, Zee." Henry told him. 

Sonny looked at Alex. "You're going to cook something?"

Henry surprised Sonny by laughing. "Has she attempted to cook for you? Or was she upfront about it?"

Alex groaned. 

Sonny shrugged. "I don't mind the burnt sausage but I thought dat was her whole wheelhouse. She never made me latkes!"

"Why would I make you latkes?" She was irritated. 

"Because you looove him." Sarah mooned. "Don't worry, Sonny she never made me latkes and I'm her first love."

Sonny laughed. 

"Well I'm making everyone latkes! You," she pointed at Henry. "Shouldn't be up on your leg!"

Henry rolled his eyes. "I'll sit on a stool. I have to make the latkes!"

Alex rolled her eyes. 

"I need a drink," she sighed. 

"I'll make it!" Sarah offered. "Who wants? Walt?"

He looked up from checking his phone for the dozenth time. "Wha-?"

"A drink?" She asked 

"No." He answered sullenly. 

"Sonny, Henry, Ang, Doc S?" Sarah smiled at the octogenarian.

He grinned back. "I've been cut off."

"Me too." Henry avoided his wife's eyes. 

"I'm okay." Angela answered and continued to build towers with her son. 

"Beers fine with me." Sonny replied, following her to the kitchen.   
Walt followed as well and plopped on one of the counter stools.

"Rose, I'm making drinks." Sarah offered. 

"Vodka soda." She answered almost immediately, frowning at her roast after checking it for the hundredth time. 

"You should probably let it do it thing." Sonny offered. 

"You know how to make a brisket?" She turned to him. 

He shrugged. "I get the gist. It's a slow roast thing. Put the lid on and don't touch it for awhile. Ya keep openin' the oven."

"Oh!" Understanding overcame Rose's features. 

"Lime?" Sarah asked as she was busily making cocktails. 

"Of course, am I a simpleton?" Rose answered. "Walter, stop moping."

"I'm not moping." He replied irritated. 

"No word from him?" Sonny asked searching for a bottle opener. 

"I hope that just means he's on the way." Walt's eyebrows furrowed. 

"He'll be here." Sonny assured, he raised his finger to begin to ask Rose for a bottle opener when Sarah took his bottle and opened it using the opener on her keyring still attached to her jeans. 

"You're such a professional, Sar bear."

"I take pride in my work, Sonny." She grinned and slid the finished drink to Rose.

"You're the best." Rose saluted and took a sip, face screwing into a sour look on the impact of the liquor in her mouth. 

Sarah took the other two drinks into the living room. She handed one to Alex and started sipping on the other. Alex took a long appreciative drink and then handed it to her grandfather. 

Alex put her finger to her lips as he looked up at her. He zipped his lips with his finger then unzipped it and took a sip. Zee handed Al her cocktail back. 

Walt threw himself on the couch beside his brother. 

"My god, this is the gayest you've ever acted." Henry rolled his eyes at him.

Sonny felt a surge of annoyance but sipped his beer to keep from opening his mouth. 

Walt shot him a look. "I have a no camera policy, so you'll probably never see how gay I can actually be."

Henry rolled his eyes again. "Thank god!"

Walt laughed. Sonny smiled, thankful he hadn't opened his mouth. He wanted to get along with her brothers. Maybe he'd never be as close to Henry as he was with Walt, but he hoped to try.   
****  
"You made it." Walt sighed with relief opening the front door and this time revealing a flushed looking Rafael, who felt like he ran the whole way. Walt bit his lip, but he was smiling. Rafael returned a glimmer of one. 

"Of course." Rafael barely brushed his cheek and went forward to present Rose, who wasn't far behind her son, with a small bouquet of flowers and a bottle of wine. 

"Oh, aren't you sweet." Rose smiled and accepted the flowers, giving them a quick sniff. "You're the famous Rafael, I suppose?"

Walt had told her he was older. Well, she guessed when he explained he was an ADA. Still, he wasn't what she imagined when Walt said 'Raf' was "debonair but boyish." Although he was a flirt with his gifts. 

"You're the famous Rose." Raf smiled. 

Walt was beaming. 

"It's nice to finally meet you. I'm glad you could join us." She smiled, taking the wine into the kitchen with her. "You didn't miss anything yet, we just lit the candles."

"Here let me introduce you to everybody." Walt led the way into the den. "You know Sonny and Alex. This is my older brother Henry and his wife Angela and Nate is already asleep. This is Al's best friend Sarah and that handsome devil is my Zee, Ben Spielman."

"Dr. Spielman." Zee grinned and pulled himself up from his chair. 

"Rafael Barba, Dr. Spielman." Rafael grinned and held out a hand that Zee didn't take, instead enveloping him in a hug. 

"You're Walt's boyfriend? Is that how we put it?" He asked. "Novio?"

Walt smiled. "Yeah, that's fine Zee."

"Habla español?" Rafael asked Zaidie, a little surprised Walt's grandfather was so...progressive. 

"Not really." Walt answered for him. "He picked up what he could from his practice."

"Walt's a brave kid." Zaidie added. "Dozens of grown men die before saying how they feel about anything."

"Yeah, and everyone knows what Walt thinks about everything." Sonny smirked, taking a sip of beer. 

"That's what Zee was saying but with nuance." Walt rolled his eyes at Sonny. 

Sonny pouted. 

"C'mon, you want a drink?" Walt took Rafael's hand. 

"I can make-" Sarah started. 

"I got it!" Walt lead Rafael to the kitchen. 

"Well he's older than I thought." Henry added when they were out of earshot. 

"Barba's incredible though!" Sonny added. "You should see him in court, sharp!"

"Oh good, glad we planned that mock trial later." Henry rolled his eyes. 

Sonny pouted the same way he did at Walt a minute before. Alex and Sarah grinned at each other. 

"Be nice, both of you." Rose scolded, as if they were both her sons. 

In the kitchen, Walt pulled out a glass as Rafael took his coat off finally. 

"I'm sorry I'm late, I always underestimate how long it takes to get to the Bronx." He explained. 

"It's okay." Walt nodded. "We only have vodka. Unless you want beer or wine?"

"I brought that red you like." Raf answered. "Did I miss something important?"

"No." Walt shook his head as he looked for the corkscrew. 

"Are you upset?" He asked. 

"No." Walt fought with the foil label on the bottle. 

"Ya know your grandfather is right about how you wear your heart on your sleeve, Walter." Raf smiled. 

Walt tossed him a harsh expression as he finally uncorked the wine. 

"Don't pout. I'm here now. You may now ply me with red wine and fried food." He grinned. 

Walt smirked. "Just promise me..."

"Yes?"

"You'll stop flirting with my mom." Walt poured after replacing the glass with a wine glass. 

Raf rolled his eyes. "I was just being nice, Walter."  
****  
"Last year it was just the 4 of us." Sarah pointed to Alex, Rose, and Ben. 

"Did mom actually cook a whole meal?" Henry asked. 

"Nope." Alex shook her head. "We made cheese and potato latkes and blintzes. We got wasted and played dreidel all night."

"We can still do that," Walt laughed. 

"Do you try to celebrate Hanukkah while you're deployed?" Sonny asked, he was sitting next to Henry, which he insisted upon. 

Henry had a mouthful of food but shook his head. "No. I mean I call them but Hanukkah isn't a major holiday just the one everyone knows about. And I'm not really a Jew."

"Of course you're Jewish!" Ben actually looked a little irritated. "Your mother is a jew, you're a Jew. When Alex has kids, they'll be Jewish."

Sonny smirked at her. She shrugged. 

"It's Jewish law." Walt nodded. "Technically, when I have kids they won't be Jews unless I get some nice Jewish girl to be my surrogate. Well they'll be half-Jews." He joked

"I didn't know you wanted kids." Rafael commented. 

"Well sure. I got lots of time to think about it."

"So I'm Jewish but Nate's not?" Henry asked. 

"My grandpa was Jewish." Angela commented. "At least that what daddy says. I didn't know him." 

"Everyone's a little Jewish." Ben added. "Even you two Catholics. I can tell." He answered before Sonny or Rafael could respond. 

Sonny grinned. "Is it a bad thing?"

"No. But you know Jesus was a Jew too, right?" He laughed. 

Sonny pouted. "I dunno how well it works out if he's eating the body of Christ if he is Christ."

"Oh he's funny." Zaidie approved. 

Alex made eyes at Sonny and grinned. 

"We're eating food!" Henry noticed with a smirk. 

"All I did was look at him." Alex complained. 

"Naw it was a look! I know those looks." He explained. 

"Oh elaborate please." Sarah taunted. "I mean I have my own theories about what that look means but I can't decide if it's Alex's blow job eyes or something different. 

Henry turned a little pink. "Uh-" he stuttered. 

"Sar, that's enough." Sonny silenced her but his cheeks too turned scarlet. "We can't make it through one meal without you bringing up something inappropriate."

"So you agree, Al's look is inappropriate!" Sarah's eyes lit up.

"I think you're doing more to confirm her theories." Walt snorted and drank wine. "You would know."

Even Rafael smirked. Sonny gave him a look that said 'et tu, Rafael?' Rose just rolled her eyes. 

"Oh Sarah!" Alex turned to her, suddenly remembering, unfazed by the conversation. 

"What? What did I do?"

"Nothing. Sonny's coworker-"

"Al, don't!" Sonny interrupted. 

"What? He wants to know if I have single friends and I do. I have one single friend."

"Thanks Alex." Sarah rolled her eyes. "You're setting me up?"

"You don't have to!" Sonny added. 

"Is he cute?" Sarah asked with a raised eyebrow. 

Alex opened her mouth but didn't answer. 

"He's not!" She gaped. 

Walt laughed. "Don't be shallow."

"He's...older." Alex finally admitted. 

"Hey I don't mind older. I'd date Doc S, if he'd ask." Sarah winked at him. 

"You're a flirt. But I'm taken, dear." Zee smiled. Bubbe was long since gone but as far as he was concerned that was his wife and always would be. 

Rose grinned. "You should go, Sarah. Maybe he's a nice man..."

"I dunno about dat." Sonny blurted. Alex elbowed him. 

"Then why are you setting her up!" Rose took another drink. 

"I'll go if you two go." She bargained. 

"Nevermind then." Sonny shook his head and took a bite of his dinner. 

"We can go!" Alex agreed. Sarah grinned. 

Sonny groaned. "Great. That's all I need, a night with Chuckie."

"His name is Chuckie?" Sarah couldn't help gagging. 

"It's Chuck!" Alex corrected. 

"Chuck." She repeated emphasizing the end of the syllable.   
****  
After dinner they moved back into the den and started playing dreidel. Zaidie presented everyone with a five dollar bill, including Rafael and Sonny, as Hanukkah gifts. Sonny slipped his and Alex's back into Zee's sweater pocket when he wasn't looking. Sarah had taken position near the counter filling everyone's glasses with vodka and wine, except Henry who stayed true to his promise.

"Sonny, are you sure you've never played this?" Henry eyed his pile of little chocolate money. 

"Beginners luck." Sonny shrugged. "It's kinda fun! Let's keep playin'!"

Alex squeezed his shoulder and got up to freshen her glass. She felt buzzed in that happy middle where all the lights are dazzling and your voice is too loud, but you love everything at once. She sat on the couch near where Zee had taken his post. She offered him a sip which he gladly accepted while Rose was looking away. 

"Alexandra how's the emergency department?"

"It's good Zee." Alex smiled. "As good as it gets, anyway."

He nodded knowingly. "I don't know how you do it. Just like your dad off in the middle of nowhere digging shrapnel out of soldiers."

"Daddy," Rose sighed, turning at his conversation. 

"Zee, Dad died. Remember?" Henry took over for his mom knowing she had probably explained this a hundred times already. 

"Teddy?" He asked astonished, with a heavy heart. "When!"

Alex frowned. Walt put his hand on his grandfathers shoulder as the rest of the room traded looks ranging from sympathetic to awkward. 

"It's been 5 years now, Zee. You said that nice speech." Walt explained to him. 

"Did I?" You could almost see the gears working overtime in his brain. He looked over at Rose who had shut her eyes. "Rose-"

"I'm okay, Dad."

"But Teddy was-"

"I'm okay, Dad." She repeated, eyes open and dry. 

He nodded with the wizened clear look of a man of a certain age but it was tempered with a look of concern. He looked across the coffee table, Sonny was staring at him. 

Zaidie thumped his forehead. "I'm still all there, I'm just not all there." He laughed at his little word play.

Sonny smiled. "It's alright, Dr. S, I won't hold it against ya."

"I still know more than the people over at the home who call themselves doctors."

"Daddy likes to diagnose his friends' ailments." Rose explained, with a smirk. 

"I have to, those kids over there can't take a tell pneumonia from strep!" He shook his head. "They're all infants!"

Alex laughed. 

"You have to stop trying to write prescriptions though. They're going to kick you out!" Rose warned. 

"Do you still have a license to practice medicine?" Rafael asked, curiously observing all the proceedings, glass of wine in hand. 

"I don't need a license. Medicine was in my veins. I was ordained by hashem!" 

"Well who can argue with that." Raf smirked. Walt shot him a grin. 

"No, he doesn't." Rose answered. 

"Can ya get me some Percocet, Dr. S?" Sarah grinned. Henry made a face at her. 

Zaidie looked confused. "Are you hurt? Alexandra get my bag."

"Daddy sit. No one is hurt and no one needs a doctor." Rose explained, long sufferingly. She took a long sip of her drink. 

"Zaidie practiced right here. He even made house calls." Alex smiled and told Sonny. "When I was little he gave me stitches on the kitchen counter."

"I remember that!" Henry smiled. "You fell off my bike and it was just us and Zee. He gave me $5 and ice cream not to tell anybody you needed stitches."

"When dad asked why I had stitches I was supposed to say 'you're crazy, I've always had these!'"

Rose just shook her head. "8 stitches in your knee. And Ted wanted you to get x-rayed when he saw it. He'd never been so mad at my dad. I can't believe you remember that."

"I don't remember Daddy getting mad." Alex shook her head. 

"Even Bubbe didn't know." Henry grinned. "Me and Zee smuggled you inside. She was upstairs or something."

"Do ya gotta scar? I've never seen a scar." Sonny smiled. 

She started to shake her head. 

"A doctor worth his salt doesn't leave a scar!" Zee yelled. "Not on a little bitty cut like that."

"You did a good job, Zee." Alex went over and kissed her grandfather on the forehead.

Nate made a noise from the single downstairs bedroom where he'd been napping. 

"I'm gonna go-" Angela started to push her gelt into her husbands pile and get up. 

Henry pushed his back into hers. "I'll go."

"Henry you can barely wa-"

"Please let me do this." He sighed and gave her puppy dog eyes. 

"He just wants to stop losing to this Catholic!" Sonny pointed at himself. 

"Fat chance, detective. I'm coming back to claim my birth right." Henry turned to Sonny with a smirk. 

Walt laughed at them, throwing a piece of candy into the pot for the next spin, as Henry limped out of the room. 

Rafael finished his drink and placed the empty glass on an end table. He leaned into Walt's ear, "Maybe it's time I..."

"Go? So soon?" Walt's face fell. "I..."

He got up and pulled Rafael away from his onlooking family and into the empty living room. 

"I was hoping you'd stay here...with me tonight." Walt continued to look hopeful. 

"Walter...?" He sighed, averting Walt's gaze. 

"I get you for a few hours of an 8 night long holiday and you won't even stay the night?" Walt sounded moody again, the way he had most of the last few days when talking to Rafael. "You came all the way up here-"

"Yes I came all the way up here." He agreed, in a harsh whisper. "I came here for you."

"You're just gonna spend the same amount of time getting back to Manhattan?"

"I don't think it's appropriate for me to stay here with you."

"Why not?" Walt crossed his arms. 

"This is your mothers house and-"

"I don't understand. It's okay for me to stay the night with you in Manhattan when it's convenient-"

"Convenient? Walt what do you think we're doing?"

"I don't know. I thought it was a relationship. I thought I was dating you."

"You...are?" Rafael looked at him confused. 

"Then why can't you stay?"

"I already told you why. Don't act like a child!"

"I am not being a child because I want you to stay with me for a change!" Walt sneered. "Fine. Thanks for coming." 

He marched over to the bookshelf and handed over a small wrapped gift in blue and silver paper. 

"Happy Hanukkah." 

"Wait, what is this?"

"A Hanukkah gift." Walt shrugged, still annoyed. 

"A gift?" Raf's eyebrow raised as he unwrapped it. 

"Just something small. Gifts are mostly for kids." He explained

Rafael opened the box, surprised to see a pen inside, weighty and trimmed with golden accents. It was not something you pick up at the drug store. 

"This is very-"

"It has your name on it." Walt stole the package from his hands and showed him where it was inscribed with Rafael Barba. 

Rafael smiled at him as he took the pen back. Walt chewed his lip. Raf put the pen back in its box and grinned as he leaned over to kiss Walt, not his approved for the public kiss on the cheek but full on the mouth, touching his fingers to Walt's face. Walt circled his arms around his back and neck, pulling him tighter. At the same moment Henry came out of the hallway with Nate over his shoulder. 

"Excuse us." He tried to maneuver around them but the combination of holding the baby and limping prevented his success. 

Rafael blushed at being caught. Walt pulled away with a smile. 

"Here, you can barely hold him." Walt reached for his nephew. 

"I got it." Henry dodged. "You looked like you were about to take that somewhere else."

He wiggled his eyebrows knowingly. Rafael's embarrassment deepened. 

"Wish I could get that excited over a pen." He smirked. 

Walt rolled his eyes. "Go let your wife hold that baby before you really hurt yourself!"

"Be nice to my brother, Barba. Don't hurt his feelings, Walt's sensitive." Henry added. It was in a mocking tone but his jaw was tight and he made eye contact with him. Rafael didn't doubt Henry's threat, injury or no injury. 

"Go Henry!" Walt urged. He'd push him if he wasn't already hurt. 

With Henry back in the den with everyone else Walt turned to Rafael with a smile. 

"Will you stay?"

Rafael sighed. "Walt...it's not that I don't want to stay with you...I...I don't come from a family like yours."

"Like mine?" Walt's eyebrows knitted. 

Raf looked stressed to have to answer. He sighed again and looked away. "Open?"

Walt continued looking confused. Rafael sat in armchair Zaidie liked. He rubbed his hands over his face. 

"Holidays with the Barbas is not such a joyful occasion." He frowned. "I could never bring you with me-"

"Oh." Walt swallowed. "Grow up."

Rafael sneered. "We don't all have a zaidie. You are all so supportive of each other. I don't have people- I told my cousin, Angelina, we were close growing up but she pretends I only like women. So I just stay quiet. This is really different."

"You don't have to parade me in front of your family. I know my family is different...but I'm not asking for anything. I...just wanted you to stay here. That's all."

"You mom is okay with-"

"With what?" Walt asked and then his eyes widened. "You think...I'm not asking you to stay and fuck me! I mean I won't protest..."

He smirked. Raf groaned. 

Walt smiled his crooked smile. "I meant for us to just sleep. Ya know just BE together. I feel like I haven't seen you."

Rafael was surprised. Truthfully he did like Walt for several reasons beyond sex or the physical but he hadn't expected that Walt felt anything deeper; it had only been a few weeks. He suddenly felt more scared than a minute before.

"I'm sorry for that." Raf answered. "But I have a lot on my plate..."

"Yeah don't we all." Walt crossed his arms again. "It's...yeah. I'm sorry if this is...fine."

"Don't be upset. I'll stay for awhile." Rafael attempted. 

"I'm sure you have something to do in the morning," Walt sighed. "Don't bother."

Rafael's shoulders slumped. Walt kissed his cheek. 

"I'll talk to you later."

Rafael sat alone in the living room for a while trying to decide if he should go or stay and which one would upset Walt the least. Life was a lot easier when you didn't worry about other people. But it was lonely. Kind of like sitting in a strange living room while other people were laughing in the other room. 

"Hey."

Rafael looked up, eyes meeting with Alex's green eyes, same color as Walt's. 

"You make him nervous." she handed Raf a fresh glass of wine and sat across from him with her drink. 

"You're gonna go?" She asked. 

"I don't know." He kept his head down, face twisted into a frown. 

"You shouldn't." She shook her head. 

"I shouldn't?" He looked up and took a sip. 

"No! I mean...if you care about him."

He sighed. 

"And you do, don't you? I know I don't go out of my way to spend a holiday I don't even celebrate with his family unless I cared." She smirked and downed another sip. 

He smiled. "He's persuasive."

"He's a charmer." She agreed. "So are you. But Walt's not used to not knowing. I mean...he knows he's a catch."

"It's a little soon."

"Yeah...that makes him nervous too. It's all over him."

"And do you approve?" He asked 

"I don't think it matters what I think."

"I think what you think matters to Walter." 

She shook her head. "It matters to Walt what YOU think. He's pragmatic, even if he rushes into something he thinks about it. He's worried."

"About me?" Rafael took a deep breath. 

"Of course. You're not really-" she smiled. "You're not like any guys he's been with. He wants you to like him. He wants your approval and right now...he's worried he did something wrong."

"He didn't!"

She laughed. "I know he didn't. You know that...you should tell him that."

She got up. "Not that I'm in any way good at this stuff. I just know my brother. And if he scares you-"

She looked into the doorway to the den and could distinguish Sonny's laugh from her brothers. Her breath caught in her throat and laughed at herself. She patted Rafael's shoulder. 

"Then maybe that's a good thing."  
****


	2. You Would Wish Long (And Long to be With Him)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue piece to Sixth Night in which Rafael and Walt get cozy and interrupted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This didn't fit in the chapter itself. I have more about these two but have been scared to post it. Let me know if it's something you'd like to see more of. And thanks! Enjoy!

Alex drank too much and passed out on the living room sofa in Sonny's lap, murmuring that she just needed a nap and then they could leave. He just smirked and ran his fingers through her hair, feeling a little overindulged himself. Rose took Zee upstairs and Angie packed up her boys and offered Sarah a ride back to her place, which Henry looked terrified of. 

Rafael had stayed, edging back into the den after Alex who winked at Walt when she sat back down by Sonny, laying her head on his shoulder and watching him win all the gelt from her brothers. He followed Walt down into his basement room when everyone had left or fallen asleep feeling unsure, a feeling that always frustrated his conservative sensibilities. 

"You call this a bed?" Rafael rolled over uncomfortably once they undressed and laid together on Walt pull out couch. 

"Well during the day I call it a couch and at night it's a bed. It's kind of bi..." Walt grinned. 

Rafael turned to give him a a look of admonishment. Walt laughed. 

"It's terrible."

"Not bad really. You ever slept in a tent in the desert? This is paradise."

"I can't say that I have..." He rolled to face him. "How long we're you deployed?"

"Where at?" Walt smirked. "I wasn't in harms way...well not for very long. I've mostly been intelligence. I was in Germany after basic. Israel, Egypt for awhile-"

"Egypt?" Raf could keep the alarm out of his voice. 

Walt smiled. "It was alright, it was right before the revolution. I speak Farsi so I was on the ground, but we didn't stay long."

"I can't imagine."

"Ya don't have to." Walt leaned in and kissed him. His feet rubbed up against Rafael's shins. He laughed when he felt that he was still wearing his trouser socks. 

"I thought you liked the socks." Raf grinned, stroking Walt's arm. 

"I do." He traced his hands under Rafael's t-shirt, idly playing with the hair on his belly. "Al got me socks for Hanukkah. Ewok socks!"

"Ewok socks?"

"Yeah but I kinda hate socks unless I'm wearing shoes."

"Is that why your feet are always cold?" Raf moved his legs so that Walt's toes pulled his sock down his ankle. 

Walt laughed. "She always gets me socks."

"You and her are close."

"Yeah she's my sister. Henry left right after high school. But Al moved to the city when she graduated and then I was at Columbia-"

"Oh I'm sure between you and her-"

"And Sarah! We tore a hole through the LES." Walt grinned. 

"I can only imagine..."

"Please do! I was a sexy little number."

"Was?" Rafael raised an eyebrow. 

"You're making me blush, counselor."

From upstairs they heard a male groan. 

"Dear god, that better not be Sonny Carisi having sex." Rafael's lip curled. 

"Naw." Walt shook his head. 

"Oh are you an expert?" He laughed. 

"I slept on her couch for almost a month!"

There was movement above them. Footsteps and whispers indecipherable. 

"Al woke up." Walt explained. "They're probably going upstairs."

"Full house." Raf commented. 

"My mom loves it. She's all alone out here. But with Henry home for awhile too...this is paradise."

"That's the second time you've said that word..."

"Paradise?" Walt stroked his stomach again. 

"Um hmm." Raf hummed and moved closer on the creaky mattress. 

"I have perceived that to be with those I like is enough, to stop in company with the rest at evening is enough, to be surrounded by beautiful, curious, breathing, laughing flesh is enough." 

"Are you reciting poetry?" Rafael could feel his heart beat a little faster. 

"It's Whitman." Walt smirked. "I don't know how I remember that."

He suddenly felt embarrassed and exposed. Here he was quoting Walt Whitman to this half naked man. He couldn't remember doing that with anyone else without a fair amount of teasing to follow. 

"I like it." Rafael kissed him softly. 

"Mmm." Walt opened his mouth a little more and slid his tongue into his mouth. 

"I like you too."

Walt grinned and put his arm all the way around his middle and pulled him close. 

"Even if you live in a converted playroom." Raf added. 

"We don't all live on Park Avenue, Mr. Barba." 

"You can afford your own place, I'm sure."

"You're sure? Do you know what the US Army pays?" He laughed. "I looked a little but ya know commuting to Connecticut I'm only here a few days a week now. And my mom likes having someone here, I think."

Rafael didn't know what to say but he nodded and wiggled so that his head was lined up with the notch of Walt's neck. Walt could feel his heart rate accelerate with the other man's breath on his throat. He tittered. 

"Where did you live before you left last?" He breathed the question right up against his skin. 

"I lived with my ex. I probably moved in too fast. I did everything too fast with Mat." Walt frowned, unconsciously moving slightly away from Rafael. 

"You were in love with him." It wasn't a question. 

"Yeah." Walt sighed. 

"Why did you break up with him?"

Walt shrugged and tried to find Raf's eyes in the dark. "I didn't love him anymore."

Walt adjusted. "What about you? When was the last time you were in love?"

"I don't know." He breathed Walt in again. 

"You don't know or you don't want to share." Walt smirked. 

"I don't know that I have been." He answered honestly. 

Walt squeezed back in with him. "That's sad." He stroked his cheek. "You have time."

Rafael's lips connected with Walt's throat, a distance that had been threatening to close their whole conversation. 

Walt moaned. At a loss for words he clutched Rafael's back and allowed himself to be ravaged by his hungry kisses. 

They wrestled passionately on the noisy bed, pawing at each other and pulling at each other's clothes. A light clicking overhead followed by uneven heavy footsteps broke them from their spell. They paused what felt like several long seconds as Sonny wandered down the stairs in confusion wearing boxer briefs that had ridden up his long thighs and a white t-shirt. 

He looked over in the direction of the bed, one hand running through his unusually rumpled slept on hair, and stared at them through squinty eyes. 

"Sonny?" Walt questioned. 

Sonny's eyes finally sent the messages to his brain and understanding overcame his features. "Oh fuck! Sorry!"

He attempted to shield his eyes but neither Rafael or Walt moved, despite the quilt being shoved aside and revealing the scene. 

"I was lookin for da john." He explained.

"Downstairs?" Walt raised an eyebrow, smirking at Rafael who looked annoyed more than anything at the interruption. 

"I'm a little drunk." Sonny hastily tripped over his feet and made his way back up the stairs. "Sorry, fellas. I really wish I wouldnta seen dat."

The light clicked off and the door slammed behind Sonny when he reached the top. 

"Well I didn't mind seeing Slim in his delicates." Walt laughed. 

Rafael pushed him back down on the mattress without further comment on the blundering detective. "Where were we?"


End file.
